The summer is off to a great start! If you’re like me, summer means having some free time on your hands. “Vaaacation, all I ever wanted! Vacation, had to get away. Vacation, meant to be spent alone.” That’s where The Go-Go’s had it wrong. You should be spending your summer with lots of people by volunteering! Avoid the summer boredom by being productive and volunteering. Here are some of my favorite summer volunteering opportunities:
Volunteering: Help Us With Our Food Drive!
Did you know NorthStar Moving, along with Coldwell Banker and Move for Hunger, is hosting a summer food drive? (You can read all about it in this blog post.) In order to feed hungry kids, we need all the volunteering you can muster. Volunteering can mean just cleaning out the pantry or buying an extra can at the grocery store. Or, you can collect food and other items from your summer camp, your church, your summer school, your neighbors or anyone else who wants to make your volunteering great! Once you have a few items, take them to your local Coldwell Banker office (see the food drive blog post for a list of participating offices) or NorthStar Moving headquarters. We can feed hungry kids together! This volunteering opportunity lasts until August 15, and you choose how much you put into it.
Volunteering: My Favorite Charities
I absolutely love my community. That’s why I have a ton of favorite charities! If you can’t help out with the food drive above, here are some other great ways to get volunteering:
Make-A-Wish Foundation: The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a great place for volunteering. In fact, they have around 25,000 volunteers. How cool! Volunteering for this amazing organization could mean doing anything from providing special services (being a wish granter) to translating to being a part of event staff. Contact your local chapter for info about volunteering opportunities.
Habitat For Humanity: Volunteering and Habitat for Humanity go together like PB&J. With youth volunteering programs, international volunteering programs and more, Habitat for Humanity is full of volunteering opportunities. Volunteering here could mean anything from helping build a house to writing letters to your government representatives to spread awareness about housing issues.
Karma Rescue: Love adorable dogs? This volunteering opportunity is a howling good time. Karma Rescue is always in need of volunteers to help care for dogs that are looking for their forever homes. You can be a foster, guardian angel or a sponsor. The pups will thank you.
My Stuff Bags Foundation: This wonderful foundation helps kids separated from their homes feel more comfortable by providing them with their own bag full of their own stuff. Volunteering with the My Stuff Bags Foundation can mean donating your time to stuff bags or volunteering to make stuff.
These are only a few of my favorite charities in need of volunteering help. Check out the rest and see if any catch your volunteering eye!
Volunteering: Find a Cause That Fits You
There are so many great volunteering opportunities in your community. Finding your volunteering cup of tea is easier than it sounds.
Ask around at the places you enjoy and frequent the most in your neighborhood. Love to read? See if your local library needs help or your school needs tutors. Is hiking your favorite? Help clean up the local trail or river! Online volunteering databases are another fantastic resource when looking for volunteering work. Whether you find a volunteering position at your local animal shelter or your neighborhood’s half marathon, take pride in the fact that your volunteering is changing the world. How awesome is that?!
How do you get your volunteering on? Tell me about your experiences with volunteering in the Comments section!